Tail-gate latch



P. E. BARKER.

TAH. GAE LATCH.

APPLscA'HoN FlLEn1uNE12.192o.

Patented July 5, 1921s 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1f P. E. BRKEH` TAILGATE LAT CH,APPLICATION FILEDJUNE12.

Patented July 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS`SHEFT 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

:PEiioY- n. BARKER, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, `AssleNoR To THE VAN DORN IRONWORKS ce., or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A'OORPORATION 'OF OHIO.. l

n TAIL-GATE LATCH.

Lasaeei.

State of Ohio, have invented acertain new and useful ,Improvement inTail-Gate Latches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its object the provision of a simple andeiiicient latch for the tail gates of dump trucks or the like. Morespecifically it is an object of my invention to provide a tail gatelatch that may be adjusted manually from a pointadjacent to the driversseat to permit the gate to be opened to various extents and thereheld,or to be entirely released, all by a simple lsliding movement of thelatch relative to the gate.

The invention is' hereinafter fully described and a preferred embodimentthereof is illustrated in the drawings. The essential features of theinvention are summarized in the claims. v'

In the drawings Figure l is a side elevation of a tiltable body truckequipped with my sliding latchv for the tail gate; Fig. 2 is afragmentary end view of the latch in different adjusted positions,permitting 1t to vvary the rate of discharge through the swinging tailgate; Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged views in side andfront elevationrespectively, of the latch operating mechanisin; Fig. 5 is a view on anenlarged scale of the latch in copei'ation with the tail gate; Fig. 6 isa detailof the supporting connection for the slidable latch, and Fig.

j? is a fragmentary end viewof the tail gate' and latch. Fig. 8 isa viewof the latch plate. l

Referring to the drawings by numerals,

l have shown my invention applied to the tiltable body 10 on atruckchassis 12. As

Yillustrated the body `1.0 is supported near the rear end on :horizontalpivots 14, and

maybe tilted about said e, prises a Aplunger, 16 adapted to be elevatedi by suitable means from within a cylindrical Specification of LettersPatent.

ivots by suitable' hoisting mechanism 15. f Ahat shown com-v PatentedJuly 5, 1921.

Application led June 12', 1920. ,Serial No. 388,483.

housing 17, which plunger is connected through toggle linkage 18 withthe chassis 12 and body 10, whereby the latter may be ltilted about itspivots 14 to any degree desired within the limit of movement of thehoisting mechanism. The details of this hoisting mechanism however,constituteno part of this invention butv are covered in a separateapplication. As shown, the body 10 has a tail gate 20 supported near thetop on a pivot 21 and adapted to be held in various positions by Amyadjustable latch 25. As shown particularly in Fig. 7 the bottom of thetail gate is provided with a length of angle iron 26 extendingtransversely and projecting laterally as at27 in. the path of the hookedportion. 30 of the latch 25.

The latch proper comprises an elongated member 25 having means wherebyit may be slidably attached to the truck body. `This meansmaysatisfactorily comprise studs 33 projecting outwardly from the bracket19 and embraced within parallel cam slots 35 in the latch 25. The slots35 have alined end portions 36 extending longitudinally of the body ofthe latch and portions 37 parallel to each other extending at lan angledownwardly from the portions 36. The slots 35 and studs 33 arepositioned relatively to each other in such a manner that the boltsoccupy corresponding portions of the slots at all times, the slots beingsubstantially alike. The studs 33 are rigidly secured to a bar 39 bynuts 40 to retain the latch .25 in position on the bolts. -Theintermediate portion of the bolt is shown. of enlarged diameter toprovide shoulders abutting the bracket 19, andthe bar 39. 'lhe bracket19 may be secured to the body 10 by bolts extending through openings 22.As shown in Fig. '8 the raised center portion 23 has tapped holes 24,for securing the latch on the left hand side of the truck. The tappedholes 26 shown in dotted lines .are adapted to be used in. a bracketpositioned on the right hand side of the truck.

Figs. 3 and 4. A casting 45 may be se- Adjustable manually-operablemeans for actuating' the vlatch is shown particularly in cured as bybolts or rivets through openings 46 to the vlorward end of the truckbody lt), and is providedwith spaced segmental portions 48 within whicha manually operable lever or handle 49 is pivoted on a shaft 50 withinliearings on. the casting 45.

Connecting means tor the handle 49 and the latch 25 com prises a rockarm 52 keyed to the shaft 5t) and pivoted at 53 to an arm 54 which isconnected to the latch 25' by a rod or link 55. The arm 54 is show nhaving one end flattened and curved as at 5G while the `other end 58 ishollow and internally 4 threaded Vto receive the threaded end 59 of therod 55. The other end of the rod 55 may be threaded within an openhollow end l adjustment. L.

As Will be observed in Figs. 1 and 5the portions 8G of the Slots 255 arenot horizontal nor are the studs 33 located in a horizontal plane. Therear -stud .33 is positioned slightly above the for-ward one, andthe-slots" 36 inclined upwardly slightly toward the rear in order topermit the latch 3G to slide in a direction parallel to the line A-Brepresenting the chordsubtending the arc traversed by the upper edge oi'theangle iron'QT as ity swings with the tail gate about the pivot 21.

lVith this arrangement the elea rance b'etween the upper edge of theprojection 2T- and the shank of the latch adjacent tojthe hook il() niaybe merely nominal` since rear\\'ard moven'ient oll thelateh Q5 as the'tail gate swings open will not tend to cause binding between theanglebar and latch. as would otherwise be the case;

ln use and operation the rod 55 1s adjusted to if "mit fbe operatinghandle T19 to be in its highest position as illustrated in Figs.

thil latch 25 in the position illustrated in Fig. wherein the studs Ilioccupyv the rear or right hand ends ot the slots 85. When it is 'desiredto dump theload the rate ol' discharge may ot course be varied byvarying the -ainount ol' opening of. the tail gate, which is done byremoving Athe p'in 67 and inserting it in a lower pair ot', openings G6,

.. permitting the handleiftl to be lowered with a consequentinm'einentof the latch 25 i'earwardl `\Y permitting,ty e tail ygate to bei-ome`openeda certai'i'i aniount. ,The lateh-25 may be set \\"i`th'th'e bolts3S occupying various positionsV along th'eportions 36 olt the slots 35,:dis/shown sin, Fig. Q depending upon, t-he `rality ot' cam slots and 4.when tli'e tail gate 2() is closed, withthe bolts 33 thereby causing thelatch 25 to travel bodily upwardly and rearwardly at i an angle to itsformer course until the hooked end 3U is released from the projectingend 27 of the angle iron, thereby 4permitting the tail gate 2t) to swingfreely as illustrated in dotted position in Fig; 1.

Having thus described my invention l claim 1. In a device et thecharacter described, a body having a pi votally mounted tail gate, ahitch for holding the same, said latch being mounted at the base of thebody, and means tor manually adjustingand holding the tail gate inpartially opened position, and thereafter freeing it by moving saidlatch while maintaining it at all times parallel to itself, said latchbeing operble'inlependently of the position ofthe truck body. v

Q. lnv combination, atilta'ble truck-tbody L 'pin connection secured `tothe-Wall? of' the body.

3. ln a device ot the character described, aI latch t comprising a hookhaving a pluin the shank portion thereof.

.4. A tail gate latch comprising ai member having a shank portion and ahookedend,a pair of equal bent slots in the shank p0r- -tion. saidASlots having mutually alined portions and parallel offset portionstherefrom. 5. tailgate latch 'comprising a member having a shank portlonand a hooked tend,

aoplurality of angular cam slots in the shank: port-ion. said slotshaving parallel portionsat an angle with the shank portion ofthe latchand extending from the same rside of the ,ehank portionas does the hook.

t3. ln a devicoo'l the character described,-

a tiltable truek'body', a hinged tail gate, a latch mounted onthe side.of the body having a hooked end adapted to engage the gate, va manuallyoperable lever. and means. conneeting said latch and said lever, thelatch being so mounted that it may be'moved upwardly and rearwardlywhile kremaining parallel to its original position to openA the tailgate varyingamounts.

7. ln a device ot' the character described,

a tail gate hinged to the rear of a tiltable v truck body` a late'h forthe same, comprising a member having cam slots, projections carried bythe truck body embraced by said Slots. said hitch having a hooked endadapted to engage a portion of the gate remote 1,383,691 i y B' from thehinge, and means for sliding s'aid front of the other, andprojectionsadapted latch on said-projections. to bev embraced by said slots wherebythe 8. Artail gate latch comprising an elonlatch is slidablysupporte j10 gated member, having a downwardly ex In testimony whereof, I hereuntoafx my 5 tending hooked end, a plurality of equisignature. L

angular slots inY the shank portion of the member, said slotsbeingpositioned one in PERCY E. BARKER.

